PML-N challenges SC’s reserved seats ruling

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday filed a review petition against the Supreme Court against reserved seats verdict that declared the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) eligible for the reserved seats.

The ruling party has nominated 11 respondents in the plea including the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) and its chairman Hamid Raza.

The review petition asked a number of questions including whether the SIC should be granted the reserved seats.

The plea also raised question if the seats could be left vacant or have to be distributed amongst the political parties contesting for the said seats.

The PML-N plea stated that SC’s order to award reserved seats to PTI on SIC plea is tantamount to violation of law.

On Friday, a 13-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, ruled that the PTI is eligible for the allocation of reserved seats, dealing a major setback to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s ruling coalition.

Justice Mansoor Ali Shah announced the 8-5 majority verdict, setting aside the Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) order wherein it had upheld the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision denying the reserved seats to the SIC.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa, Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Afghan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Ameenuddin Khan opposed the majority decision.